Teaching device



M. PEELEN 1,756,208

TEACHING DEVICE April 29; 1930..

Filed March 12, 1928 Patented 29, 1930 I b UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application filed March 12, 1928. Serial No. 261,074.

My invention relates to a teaching device, invention, .employed as a multiplication particularly for use in connection with tables teacher. teaching the multiplication and addition Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the -tables. ribbon of the device, shown in Fig, 1.

My invention has to do with that type of Fig. 3 is a plan view of a ribbon which 55 device employing a ribbon, wound upon a may be used when the device is employed as pair of spools and adapted to be displayed an addition tables teacher. I through a series of sight openings. F 4 is a plan view of a somewhat modi- The fundamental object of my invention fi d orm ofmy invention. is to provide a device adapted to display Fig. 5 is a longitudinal, central, sectional 60 problems in a regular order, each of the probview through the device. lems being displayed the same number of Fig. 6 is a transverse, central, sectional times, but not in direct succession, theorder vieW hr gh he viceof displaying problems of a particular series Themechanical features of the device of being so broken up, that the pupil is forced my invention are as follows: A box-like. 65.

to rely entirely upon memory in giving the framework, channel shaped in cross section, answers to the-problems. has the side members ,10 and the connecting This object is accomplished by a simple web 11. The connecting web 11 is depressed arrangement of sight openings, whereby a below the sides of the side members 10 and particular problem is first displayed, then the metal joining the web with the side 70 concealed, and then displayed again. members 10 isdrawn inwardly at either side A f th bj t i t id a d i e of the device, to form the guides 13 which which will present six new problems'each receive the ribbon and hold it securely in time one shift of the ribbon is made. place. The side members 10 are braced to- A further object is to provide a device gether by means of cross strips 14, which which, although it does not present problems are provided with openings 15 to receive in succession, will present them in such a screws orthe like, by means of which the progressive order that the teacher may easily device may be attached to a wall.

remember which problems willbe displayed A cover 17 serves also as a screen and is in successive shifts of the ribbon Without provided with end walls 18, which are in- 80 lookin at the device, the teacher being there-' dented as at 19 to spring into the notches 20 by ena led to face her class. in the side walls 10. The cover is thus se- A further object is to provide a device incurely. held in Pl v which the order of presenting problems is Spools 21 are 3ournalled 1n the side mem: such that a problem will first be displayed bers 10 and spaced substantlally from the $5 with the answer, then concealed, and then cover 17 the ribbon 24 being wound upon the, displayed without the answer, then at a later spools '21 and thence passed over rollers 23, period displayed again,.with the answer, which are positioned in the plane of the. whereby the help or visual memory may be web 11. I employed in impressing the answers tothe Each spool is provided with a key 24, by

problems upon the mindvof the pupil.' 4 means of which it may be rotated.

- With these and other objects in view, my Six sight openings are provided in the invention consists in the construction, ar-- cover 17, which are ind cated he em by the rangement, and combination of the variou reference characters 25, 26,27, 28, 29 and 30, parts of my device, whereby the objects-conin consecutive order from top to bottom of templated are attained, as hereinafter more the device. The sight openings 25 and 28 fully set f0rth, pointed out in my claims, and are longer than the remainder of the sight illustfi'aiiid in the accompanying drawings, openings. It will thusbe noted that the openm w 10 I lngs are grouped as fellows: A long opening Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device of my is followed by two short openings, and then another long opening is followed by two more .short openings.

The problems are rinted upon the ribbon 22 in consecutive or er, for

instance, as shown in Fig. 2, the multiplica-- ings 25 and 28. In the position where the answers would appear opposite the problems disclosed through the short openings, were the latter long enough, question marks34 are imprinted upon the cover 17.

The spaces between the sight openings are of the same width as the openings themselves. It may now be noted that as the ribbon is moved in one direction, a particular problem will first be disclosed in the openipg 25 with its answer then covered up between the openings 25 and 26,'then disclosed again in the opening 26, with its answer covered,-then again covered, then disclosed in the opening 28 with the answer. Thus the child is first given a visual image of the entire problem including the answer. The problem is then concealed and another problem is presented to the vision of the pupil. After having concentrated on this second problem, the first problem will again be presented to his attention in the opening 26, the answer being covered so that he must rely upon his memory to give the same. The problem will then be covered again and the second problem then disclosed in the opening 26, where the answer to this second problem mustbe given from memory. j p 1 In actual practice, the teacher presents a set of problems to view and calls upon one pupil to give the answers to all of those problems. The pupil will begin by reading the problem in the column 25, the only eifect there being of seing and repeating the problem and its answer.

The pupils attention will then be directed the opening 26 and he will be requested to give the answer to the problemappearing in that opening. After having tried this, he will be asked to give the answer to the problem appearing in the opening 27.

.He will then read the problem in' the opening swer to the previous problem a sum equal to the number by which the multiplication is bein done. For instance} in the table shown in Fig.1, the pupil could arrive at an answer to the second problem, assuming it to be 8 X 2, by merely adding the sum 8 to the answer lem is concealed, however, this function of addition is not available for the solution of the next problem which is visible, namely, the third problem in order and the pupil finds it necessary to rely upon his memory for the answer.

The device is-so arranged that one-half of the problems in a certain table will be simultaneously presented to view and the other half revealed by a single shift of the ribbon. This is attained, in addition to the function of mixing up the problems to enforce the use of memory. Furthermore, the problems are presented in a regular succession-such that the teacher can readily remember just what problems will be displayed at a particular time without looking at the device. A glance will tell her when the ribbon has been moved enough to accomplish the next shift and she may then again return her attention to the class.

. In practice, the ribbon will be continuously third pupil will give 5, the fourth will give 5, the fifth, four, etc. In this way, the duller pupils may be picked to give a full list of six problems in any particular table, while the brighter pupils may be limited to only a few.

The advantages of the device are thought to be obvious from the foregoing description,

but may, for the sake of clearness, be summed up here. of class drill, namely, drilling through the Secondly, as all of the answers are displayed twice during one trip of the ribbon, the answer'is thus intermittently impressed upon the mind of the child between periods when the problem is presented to the child without the answer. This intermittent pre senting of problem and then problem with its answer will rapidly impress the answer upon the mind of the pupil.

The items which constitute a table are studied out of their regular order, causing the the child to use the addition method of arriving at an answer.

The device is very convenient for the teacher in two particulars, one being that one shift of the ribbon will make six changes of problems and the other being that the teacher can face the children while using the device. Another advantage from the teachers standoint is the fact that no pointer is needed. In l ig. 4, I have shown a somewhat modified form of my invention, in which the answer is displayed three times and the problem ,without the answer is displayed only once betweenthe times when the answer is dis-' played. The same principle of intermittent The device offers an excellent form and purpose of my invention, and it is my.

intention to coverby my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a teaching device, a casing including 1 a screen, a ribbon movable under said screen, problems with answers displayed on said ribon, each problem and answer extending transversely of the ribbons direction of .movement, and the problems being arranged in equally spaced succession, the screen being provided with a sight opening constructed so as to reveal a problem and its answer simultaneously, and with another opening constructed so as to reveal a problem and conceal its answer, a web of material of substantially the sametwidth as that of an open ing being formed between the sight openings and adapted to conceal a problem. and its answer, the spacing of the openings being twice that of the problems, whereby alternate problems may be simultaneously centered under the respective openings, and the problein between said alternate problems may be simultaneously concealed beneath the web, whereby as the ribbon is gradually moved in one direction, a particular problem and its answer may be first displayed, then fully concealed, and then the problem displayed with its answer hidden, and whereby first one pair of alternate problems may be displayed, and then a succeeding pair of alternate problems may be displayed while the pair just displayed is concealed.

2. Ina teaching device, a casing including a screen, a ribbon movable under the screen, problems with answers displayed on said ribbon, each problem and answer extending transversely of the ribbons direction of movement, and the problems being arranged in equally spaced succession, the screen being provided with two sets of sight openings each including an opening constructed so as to reveal a problem and to conceal its answer,

- and an opening constructed so, asto reveal a problem and its answer simultaneously, webs of material of substantially the same width as that of a sight opening being formed between the sight openings, each web being adapted to conceal a problem and its answer, the spacing of the openings "being twice that of the problems, whereby alternate problems may be simultaneously centered under the re spective openings, and the problems between said alternate problems may be simultaneously concealed beneath the webs, whereby as the ribbon, is gradually moved in'one direction, a particular problem and its answer may be first displayed, then fully concealed, and then the problem displayed with its answer hidden, and whereby first one pair of alternate problems may be displayed, and then concealed while a succeeding pair of alternate problems is displayed.

7 3. n a teaching device, a casing including a screen, a ribbon movable under said screen, problems with answers displayed on said ribbon, each problem and answer extending transversely of the ribbons direction of movement, and the problems being arranged in equally spacedsuccession, the screen being provided with a sight opening cons'tructed so as to reveal a problem and its answer simultaneously, and with two succeeding openings each constructed so as to reveal a problem and to conceal its answer, webs of material of substantially the same width as that of an opening being formed between the sight openings and adapted each to conceal a problem and its answer, the spacingof the openings being twice that of the problems, whereby alternate problems may be simultaneously centered under the respective openings, and the problems between said alternate" problems may. be simultaneously concealed beneath the web, whereby as the ribbon s gradually moved in one direction, a partlcular problem and its answer "may be first displayed, then fully concealed, and then the problem displayed with its answer hidden,

and whereby first one pair of alternate prob- 

